The End
by mefiant
Summary: One year after the chosen. Angel season 5 did not happen. Its the end of the world again. Warning: Character death implied


Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Joss Whedon owns everything. 

AN:  This little piece of sap has been rolling around in my head for weeks and won't let me concentrate on anything else.  Hopefully it will leave me in peace now.

**The End**

Buffy sat in the lobby of the Hyperion looking around at those gathered.

They had arrived here from wherever they had been around the world.  Somehow it seemed the right thing to do.  After all it was the end of the world.

A few months after their battle with the first the news had broken.  A giant meteor was heading towards earth.

_'God things like that only ever happen in the movies. Right?'_

It had been like one of those big action movies.  The world banding together to send a mission to destroy the threat, and it had worked.  They had managed to deflect the giant hunk of rock.

Before the congratulations had died down though, there had been another discovery.  A bigger more deadly meteor had been travelling behind the first, masked by the debris in its tail.

 Oh there had been attempts to deflect this one as they had the first.  Every attempt had failed though, so that was it, the end, they were finished.

The Scoobies had rallied together once more; certain that they would overcome this threat as they had numerous apocalypses before. 

Even magic couldn't save them from the end of the world, they had tried opening dimensional portals, but they would always collapse quickly.  Willow and Giles had theorised that the pull of the giant rocks gravity was disrupting the earth's magnetic field, therefore interfering with the natural flow of magic.

Giles had used the council's resources to gather them, those who wanted to be together at the end, that is.

Buffy and Dawn had flown in from Rome, Giles had arrived from England via Africa where he had collected Xander. 

Willow had been in Cleveland with Kennedy at the time, the couple had broken up when Kennedy refused to accompany Willow to L.A.  Willow didn't seem to mind though; she mentioned to Buffy that she thought that she had rushed into the relationship with the young Slayer.

Angel had removed Cordelia from the sterile rooms of Wolfram and Hart and brought her back to the Hyperion, so that they could all be together at the end.

The funny thing about the end of the world was how calm everyone was.  Nobody was working anymore and money was obsolete, yet food was plentiful and nobody wanted for anything.

Everybody seemed to accept that their time on this earth was ending, even demons.  There was no fear or violence, no looting and burning.  Human and demon banded together helping each other as needed.

Buffy remembered the first time she had seen evidence of this, she had gone out to patrol when she had seen a vampire standing over a woman and her young child.  Buffy had moved forward silently stake at the ready, what she had witnessed next had almost broken her heart.

The vampire had sat on the grass beside the woman as she had looked at him with tear filled eyes.

"I don't want her to be frightened." The woman had stroked her daughters hair lovingly "Please I don't want her last memories to be full of pain."  The young mother had choked back a sob "I don't want her to burn or drown. Please will you…?"

The vampire had merely nodded before extending his hand to her.  He had drawn the pair over to a small flowerbed and spread a small rug out for them to sit on.  He had then sung softly to the small girl as her mother gently rocked her to sleep.  The young woman had placed a soft kiss on the little girl's forehead before nodding to the vamp. 

Tears had streamed down Buffy's face as she watched the vamp lift the child's hand, turning it to expose her tiny wrist.  He slid his fangs into the soft flesh with excruciating care, gently sucking until her heart had stilled.  He had then moved behind the woman, wrapping his arms around her.  The woman had let her head fall back against his shoulders as she cradled her dead child.  She reached up and placed a kiss on his jaw "Thank you."

The vamp had given her a small smile "Close your eyes" he had waited for the woman to comply before gently sliding his fangs into her neck.  The woman had sighed then and seemed to melt into his embrace her life slowly fading away.

The vamp had gently laid the pair back onto the rug, smoothing their hair and clothes.   He had then reached over and pulled the heads from a few flowers, spreading their petals across the mother and child.  He had stood at their feet for a few minutes, head bowed, before striding of into the night.

Buffy had sat there in shock over what she had just witnessed.  What happened next had moved her even more.  The vamp had returned carrying a small bag and a shovel; he had placed the bag down and then began to dig.  He had dug for several hours before he seemed satisfied, the shovel was discarded as he removed a blanket from the bag.  He carefully placed it inside the makeshift crave before moving over to the where the woman and her daughter lay. 

The vamp scooped the girl into his arms looking around for somewhere to place her.  He seemed hesitant to lay her on the cold earth.  Buffy had moved forward then to stand silently before him.  The vamp had looked at her with sorrowful eyes and tenderly handed her the child.  Buffy had held the little girl's cold body close to her body gently cooing and rocking the child. 

The vamp gathered the woman up and placed her into the grave; he reached up for the small child and laid her in her mother's arms.  He had then pulled a small stuffed bear from the bag, tucking it into the little girl's arms.  The vamp had then pulled the edges of the blanket around them, cocooning the pair together for eternity.

Buffy had then helped him to fill the grave, no words were spoken; they worked in silent understanding.  By the time their chore was finished dawn was near, however the vamp seemed unhurried, he reached into the bag one last time and drew out an antic sliver cross.  His skin smoked and sizzled as he placed the marker at the head of the grave.  The vamp had then sat at the foot of the grave, his face turned heavenward, a smile playing on his lips as the first rays of dawn turned him to dust.

"I want to go home!"

Buffy was pulled from her reverie by the sound of Dawns voice. 

Dawn moved forward to sit beside her sister uncertainly "If I'm going to die, I want to go home.  I want to be with mum."

Buffy stroked her sister's hair "Ok"

The two girls stood and looked around.

"We're going home!  If anyone wants to come, we're leaving in an hour."

The others nodded in acceptance.

"That old school bus is still out the back.  I'll go fuel it up" Angel strode out happy to have a purpose.  It just didn't feel right that they weren't going out fighting.

Giles moved towards the kitchen "I'll get some supplies.  We won't need much…." his voice trailed away.  They all knew that tomorrow was the day the world was going to end.  Ironically it would be one year to the day since Spike had closed the Hellmouth.

An hour later they all climbed onto the bus, Angel had put Cordelia's sleeping figure on the back seat, carefully securing her so she wouldn't be jostled during the trip.  He cast a quick glance towards the darkened sky; one advantage of the meteor being so close was hat it blocked out the sun, allowing him to move around during the day.

Giles fired up the engine and the small group began their trip home.

Several hours later the bright yellow school bus bulled up at the edge of the crater that once was the town of Sunnydale.

The group made their way to the edge to stare out at the expanse, Angel cradling Cordy in his arms.

As if by silent agreement the group began to pick their way down into the crater, wanting to be as close as possible to their loved one's when the end came.

Willow was the first to see it, a small glimmer of light at the centre of the crater "Look".

"What do you think it is?" Xander asked nobody in particular.

Buffy moved forward "I think it's the seal" she looked back at the others "The entrance to the Hellmouth."

"Do you think there's still ….." Xander waved his hand towards the light "Down there, do you think they're still down there?"

Buffy looked at the debris around her, piking up a small piece of metal rod "At least we'd go down fighting."

The others began to search for something to use as a weapon.  Armed and ready for battle they made their way forward to the light.

When they finally reached the open seal they stopped.  Buffy looked around at the people who had been by her side for so many years.  "I love you guys."  She pulled each of them forward for one last hug.  Buffy looked into Angels eyes "You stay at the back, try to find somewhere safe for Cordy."

With that the small band of warriors made their way down into what was once the mouth of hell.

The group was stunned by what they saw before them.  A bright shimmering bubble of light seemed to have formed where the armies of the first once stood.

It was what was inside this cocoon of light, however, that had rendered them speechless.

Wide stone steps led up to a platform where four seemingly sleeping forms lay on stone altars, a fifth stone altar lay bare. Several more stairs led up to another platform where another figure lay prone on an altar.

The group made their way cautiously up the stairs towards the figures.

Dawn gave a low cry and rushed past Buffy "Mommy"

The figure of Joyce Summers lay in peaceful repose on one of stone altars.

Dawn stretched out a tentative hand, feeling the warm living flesh of her lost mother.

Buffy reached her sisters side and they both began to weep as Joyce's eyes fluttered open and she graced them with a loving smile.  "Hello my darlings, I've been waiting for you."

Joyce slowly sat up and pulled her daughters into her embrace.

The others stared at the scene before them before their own eyes moved to the other figures before them. 

Xander felt his knees buckle as Anya slid from her place and moved towards him. 

Giles had tears streaming down his face as he stared into the eyes of Jenny Calender. 

Willow was seated on the altar which bore the figure of Tara, gently running her hands across her lost loves face.

The four women moved away from the ones they loved the most and moved towards Angel. 

"You need to lay her down"

"Put her here."

"Everything will be alright"

"Trust us"

Angel gently lay Cordelia on the vacant altar, stepping back as a bright white light extended from the lone altar and enveloped the comatose woman.

Angel could feel a lump forming in his throat; his eyes began to prickle as he watched Cordelia's eyes flutter open for the first time in over a year.

"Hey you" Cordelia smiled up at him.

Angel couldn't speak; he was to busy peppering Cordy's face with kisses.  He pulled back slightly and turned to the four resurrected women "How?"

The women merely turned to stare at the lonely altar above them.

Buffy followed their eyes and she knew.  She started to move towards the lonely figure, one word tumbling softly from her lips "Spike"

Buffy stared down at the peaceful form in front of her.  The amulet shone brightly from its place against Spike's chest.  His whole body seemed to be infused with an ethereal light.  She waited patiently for his eyes to open as the other's had; she felt the tears forming as no sign of life occurred.

Buffy gently ran her hand across his check, feeling a warmth that had never been there before.  She pressed her head against his chest and listened, no heartbeat thumped inside his chest. 

Buffy turned to look at the others gathered at the base of the platform, wrapped in each others arms.

Tara simply shook her head sadly "I'm sorry sweetie he's been that way since we came back." She turned back into Willows arms.

Buffy turned back to stare at Spikes peaceful form.  She could feel the earth trembling as the end drew near.

_'At least I'll be in his arms when the time comes.'_

Buffy stretched out on the altar beside Spike, nestling into the crook of his arm, laying a hand upon his chest.

The noise from outside was becoming deafening and it felt as if the air was being sucked away.

Buffy lifted her tear stained face to gaze down at Spike one more time.  "I love you" she whispered as she pressed one last kiss upon his lips.

She felt a hand move up to her back as Spike's soft lips yielded under her touch.  Buffy pulled back to stare into his piercing blue eyes.

"I know" Spike whispered as he pulled her back down for a searing kiss.

Buffy's world ended then.

In an explosion of peace, light and love.


End file.
